Cake stand and like portable stand



E. s. LOUIS 0mm swam) AND LIKE PORTABLE smn Ma 10, 1927. r 1,628,50

Fi1ed Feb. 25. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 10, 1927. 1,628,504

E. sf LOUIS CAKE STAND ANU'LIKE PORTABLE STAND Fileqi Feb. 25, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 10, 1927.

teats PATENT EDWARD STANISLAUSjLOUIS, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

CAKE STAND AND LIKE PORTABLE STAND.

Application filed February 25,1925, Serial No. 11,601, and in Great Britain March 10, 1924.

above the other at intervals in the height of an upright supporting frame, at the upper end of which a handle is provided by means of which the stand may be carried.

The invention is concerned with portable stands of the collapsible type in which means are provided to lock the stand, when desired, against collapsing movement, and in which the supporting uprights for the trays comprise links which are pivotally connected to the trays in such manner as to constitute therewith a parallel-motion linkage. WVith an arrangement of this kind the trays have aparallel motion in relation to one another when the links are moved to collapse or to erect the stand.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved stand of the above type which may readily be collapsed or erected by swinging (by means of the handle aforesaid) the supporting links about the base of the stand, the trays being maintained horizontal during this operation.

The present invention provides a portable collapsible stand of the type referred to above, wherein the base of the'stand is con- 0 stituted by the lowermost tray, the supporting links terminating attheir lower ends in pivotal connectionswith the edges of said tray, so that thestand may be collapsed or erected as aforesaid by swinging the supporting links about their lower ends. v I The invention further provides a stand of the aforementioned type, characterized in that the supporting linkage for the trays includes two links located at opposite ends (or sides) of the trays and pivotally connected thereto at points which are spaced apart from the centres of said ends (or sides) on that side towards which the trays are movedjwhen the stand is erected, and the j two links aforesaid are connected by a handle. The advantage of this construction will hereinafter'be referred to.

construction is employed the supporting linkslmay, if desired, be extended beyond the lowermost tray provided the extreme ends ofthe links which are to rest on the floor or ground are located on. straight lines which pass through the pivotal connectlons of the links to the trays.

5 Someembodiments of the invention will Where this 1 now bedescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings in wh1ch' higure 1 1s a perspective view of .the

stand in its erectposition.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the stand partially collapsed.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the stand completely collapsed.

. Figure 4: is an end elevation of the stand in the erect position and showing a modified form of locking device.

:Figure 5 is an end elevation of the;

stand according to Figure a in the collapsed position, and

FigureG is a perspective view of the stand showing a modified form of supporting links. I

Like reference numerals indicate like parts in the various figures.

The stand comprises two shallow tr 10, 1'1,'ofrectangular form adapted to be The lower tray 11 constitutes the baseof the stand and the upper tray 10 is supported therefrom in the following manner. Two pairs of parallel links 12, 13, are pivotally connected to the lower tray, one pair at each end thereof. lVhen the stand is erect the two links at each *end of the ,baseextend vertically upwards therefrom and the two members of supported one above the other.

each pair are spaced apart inthevertical endplane containing them. The top tray 10 1s pivotally connected at each end to the links 12, 13 aforesaidnear the upper ends thereofythe points of connection being such whole when the latter is erect.

out of line and the handle 15 is swung do into the horizontal position.

It will be seen that the trays 10, ll to nether with the parallel links 1B, 113 snpporting}; thcln constitute a parallel motion linkage and that as the links are collapsed about the base of the stand the upper tray 10 moves parallel to itself and therefore re mains at all times horizontal. The spacing between the two links oli each pair and the interval between the trays issnch that when the stand is collapsed the trays are brought into a snbetantiall y horizontal position alongside each other. hen the stand is collapsed as shown in .l igonre 3 the two links of each pa'r are brtnig'l'it into contact one stantially in the same horizontal plane and constitute a single l'lat tray. If desired means (not shown) may be provided to lock the stand in this position so that when colabove the other and the two trays lie sublapsed it may be used as a single tray.

In a modified constrnction, illustrated in Figure 6, the stand is provided with cross inc, links 17 hinged at to the side edges of the upper and lower trays The object of the links 17 is to increase the endwice rigidity of the stand when the latter is in the erect position. In the construction il lustrated the links 17 are substituted for the short links 13, but it will. be uinlcrstotal that the links 1? may .be provided in athiution to the links 12, 13. It is not necessary that the links 17 should be arranged to cross each other shown; rigidity in an endwise direction can be secured by other arrangw inents provided the side links lie aslant the edges of the trays to which they are conneeted.

In the arrangement shown in Figures l and 5eacl1 pair oi? hilll'lfililt-jOllllQll straps n; in the foregoing example is replaced by a single slotted bar 18. The bars 18 are pivotally connected at. one end to the upper ends of the short links 13 and the slots 12) in the bars are engaged by pins 20 on the long links 12 of the stand. Assuming the stand to be in the collapsed position as shown in l igure 5 it will be seen that when the handle 15 is raised the pins 520 will ride npthe slots 19 nntilthey reach the ()Xilelllh ties of the slots which are formed with enlargen cnts .31 to engage the pins 20 and lock the stand in the erect position. The bars 18 are curved so that when the stand is in the collapsed position as shown in Figure 5 the bars 19 and the supporting links 12, 1%), lie substantially horizontal at the edges of the trays.

It is a feature of the examplesdescribed herein that the links 12 to which the handle :l5O'f L-liQ stand is attached are connected to the ends of the trays at points spaced apart :l'ronrthe cent res of said ends on that side towards which the upper tray is moved nhenthewstand erected. In the event of uneven loading of the trays, where any a load on the tray 10 has been placed princi ailly on that side which is next the adjacent tray 11, the above disposition ot the links 12 overcomes any tendency of the trays to fool one another at their adjacentedges when the handle is raised to erect the stand.

An ad vantage olthis invention that the trays may be filled when the stand in the collapsed position, the parallel .inotion linkage ensuring that the trays remain horizontal while the stand is being erected. A further advantage is that the stand when collapsed is in a compact form which facilitates packing for transit. .(lbvionsly there may no any convenient number of trays or similar holders providcdliythe stand. :l-t desired the snpymrting links may be extended beyond the lower tra-y'in order to tarnish legs tor the stand. "With this construction the lower ends ot these legs coniaitnte the aforesaid tr about which swing;- i119:ll'lOVell'lGllh of the links takes place. The base of the stand may he :tnr nishcd with castors or wheels so that when in the erect position it can be readily wheeled about from place to place.

l am aware that i n connection with dis play devices ithas hitherto been proposed ,to employ a plurality of shelves lor the like iiitcrconncctml by parallellinksin such manner that h swinging nawcment o t the links the shelves may be larongrl'it from a position one above another into a position in which they lie edge to cdnje along nle one another and coi'istit ut a singl substantially .tlat shelf or lablc. in display deviccsot the above kind the unit comprising the shelves and their intcrconnccting; links is itselhnounted on a supporting;- stand. illn'iake no claim to any device of this nature.

l Vh-at I claim BS3111) invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent sis: i

l. A portable collapsible stand. comprising, in combiiniticai a.rectangular ,tray arranged to rest on the ground anrlto ccmstitute the base of the stand, parallel vertical links ar ranged in pairs .atoppositc ends of the tray atoie -nid, with the inelnbers oi each pair spaced apart in the end plane containing them and pivotally connected at their lower ends to the marginal portions otthe tray in such manner as to pern itcot swinging inove- IllGllbOf the links in the atoresaidend plane,

a second traysiinilar to the botto ntray and supported by the upper ends of the links aforesaid in. a horizontal position directly above the bottom tray, thelinks being pivotally connected to the uppertray in like man ner to their connection with the lower tray and the spacing between theitwo trays being approximately equal to the width of each tray, extension pieces formingupward con tinnation of corresponding links atopposite ends oil the stand, said extension pieces being carved in such manner that theirexttemities Hill lie over the centre line of the upper tray, a cross-piece lnterconnecting the extremities aforesaid, and two pairs of knuckle-jointed straps operativelyconnected between said extension pieces and the upper ends of the adjacent unextended links.

2. A portable collapsible stand comprising in combination a plurality of horizontal trays which, in the erect position of the stand, are spaced apart one vertically above another, a plurality of vertically-extending links interconnected pivotally with the marginal portions of the trays at opposite ends of the stand in such manner that all of the links aforesaid may be swung in parallel about their lower ends as pivots from a vertical position into a substantially horizontal one and vice versa, but at the same time effecting relative parallel movement of the trays from positions one above another into positions alongside each other and vice versa, extension pieces forming upward continuations beyond the uppermost tray of corresponding links at opposite ends of the stand, a cross-piece interconnecting the extension pieces aforesaid and constituting a handle by means of which the stand may be carried, collapsed, and erected, and means operable at will to lock the stand in its erect position.

3. A portable collapsible stand of the type described comprising in combination a plurality of similar trays which, in the erect position of the stand, are located horizontally one above the other at spaced intervals,

with the lowermost tray resting on the ground and forming the base of the stand, a plurality of vertically extending links interconnected pivotally with'the marginal portions of the trays in such manner that all of the links aforesaid may be swung in parallel about their pivotal connections with the lowermost tray from a vertical position into a substantially horizontal one and vice versa, at thesame time effecting relative parallel movement of the trays from positions one above another into positions alongside each other and vice versa, a handle located above the uppermost tray and connected to certain of the links in such manner that the handle may be used for swinging the links as aforesaid about their lower ends, and means operable at will to lock the stand in its erect position.

4. In a portable collapsible stand of the type described the combination of a plural.- ity of trays which, in the erect position of the stand, are located horizontally one above the other at spaced intervals, a plurality of parallel links all of which are pivotally connected to each tray and are movable in parallel about their lower ends as pivots from a vertical position into a substantially hori- I zontal one and vice versa, the trays being lowered by said movement from positions one above another .into positions alongside each other and vice versa, means operable at will to lock the stand in its erect position, and a handle attached to certain of the links aforesaid for carrying the stand and for swinging the links as aforesaid about their lower ends.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature.

EDWARD STANISLAUS LOUIS. 

